Fastening device



Nov. l16 ,1926.

1,606,991 o. l.. GAMMELL.

FASTENING DEVICE Filed vMarch .3, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet .l

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Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,991

o. l.. GAMMELL FASTENING DEviCE lFiled Marchl 5, 1926 2 Sneets-Sheebi P i3 f5 if I ya, fammez'z 'Patented Nov. '15, 1.926.

OVE L. GAMMELL, or ArmaBono, MAssAoHUsETTs, lAssrenvoiero SMITH or ATTLEBORO, ivrassa'cnusnmrs,einem.

` adapted .for concealed embodiment in the;

shells vof ornamental chains for personal vadornment,such as bracelets, garters, necklaces, and articles of likev character.

The yessential objects lot'my invention are to provide v a astening device adapted .for Y substantially 'concealed embodiment in the chain, and at either the 'ends or at van interi mediate portion of the latter. 'Further objects'` are security against accidental disengagement of parts, Jfacility of manipulation,

and inexpensiveness of constrl'iction.

To the above ends essentially my .inventionV consists'in such parts and in ysuch combinations of parts as tall within the scope'of vthe appended claims. i v 'p f VIn the accompanying drawings which form apart 'of Ithisspecilieation Vmental chain in the form-of a bracelet'or garter-'wherein my fastening deviceV 1s ernbodied in an intermediatexportion `of the 'chainf j Figure 2, an enlarged :similar elevation of the medial portion of the cham,

or' topelevation of the same, 1

Y lFigl'ire 4,' a' section on line4-4 ofFigure f 3 showingthe fastener members fullyinter!l engaged, j f f VFigure 5,'a lsection on line 5-15 of Fig-` ure 4, L I j1 f i i Figure '6, a section'similar to' that'ofFig. ure 4 but showing the Afastener' members `afterrelease@y v f l n Figures 7 8 8 respectively of Figure 4, and

Figures9, 10 and 11,1d'etail views of the vlatch member,` catch member, and the 'spacing memberY respectively. l

-iLike-V reference Acharacters indicate 'like parts r'throughout the views.' "i

nected to each' otherQ 'Each' vunit consists of a shell alone, orv of an outer shell and 'an en` v Yclosed. slide,according to whether the chain Y is nonexpansible..orexpansible. "In this'instance the ends "ofthe chain carry hooks 17 adapted to engage a watch or ornament. As

` herein shown two adjacent units V19 and20 vFigure. 1 is a side elevationA offan orna`V and 8,"Se'ctions on lines 7-.74 and ofen" intermediate portion of -the chain c'on- Sist''merely Vof'Yre'ctangular tubes orshells for, containing the constituent lparts'of my units of the chain.

Each'of'theshells 19 an fastening'` device, and serve as the terminal d20l comprises Va sa CROSBY. i

front 21, abackj2'2, andfsides 23, Vwhose Outer i I 'ends carry pivot membersj24 .connecting the shells-to the endsV of adjacentV units.. TheV pivot ,members comprise in this p instance -inwardlyldirected lingers 25 loose" in tubesf26. These shells are transversely rectangular and have-open adjacei'it ends. Inthe shell 19 is mounted a VUfsliaped compressible latch curved yarms Yand a resilient tongue 30y which pressesVV against `the front 21 `of the shell andk compressible Vtowards .the Aplate y 27.1 Intermediate its lengththe tongue 30 is rearwardly [offsetas atv 31 `,forming a ter.- minaljoffset portion32 also project1ng-be yondtheend of the'shell 19 and provided withV a cavityor hole 34. Near the odset por- -tionlof 'the tongue 30 'isl an integral lugl 36 l covered by a cap' 37. vThe lug andI cap form a llingerpiece which'projects through 'cavities 39 intheadjac'ent ends of the frontwalls i 21 `ofthe shells 1 9 and`20. The base 27 v,is provided with a longitudinal guide slot 40 in alignment-with the tongue, which slot has a` retracted Vii'ite'rmediate portion formed by Yopp'ositely disposed projections l,4l formedin the ,baseextending intoan intermediate por- `v tion offtheslot and forming ajretracted nar# i .Y row passage 42.1 The projectingend of the .base hasl upturned lateral guard lugs 43.- v

Tlieshell .2O is adapted to receive the projecting portions ofthe tongue 30 and baise 27', 'and has fixed `bysolder toI its frontfor Y Y top V21l a lining plate 45 yhaving in this-vin'- The body 15 'offjthe chain hereinshown stance u'pnion'e'end ya rearwardly directed wall 46integral with. ya lateral flange v47 parallel `'witlrthe fplate and bearing 'against rialof ythe plate 45 is an inclined rearwardly 'weshalb-aci; 22. Formed from the mate-j directedfcatch` 48 looatedfin the pathxo'f thevv tongue and adapted to vsnapinto the vcavity 34 4i'vllen the' adjacent endsof the shell are 1n Contact.VY Y Y It is evident that sutlicient rearward or downward pressure of the finger piece 37v will release the tongue from the catch 48 and permitthe shells to be manually disconnected. ft is desirable that the detachment of the parts be not effect-ed accidentally, and to prevent this the following blocking means employed.V This consists of a vspacing plate 50 slidably mounted betweenthe base and tongue ofthe entrant member and longitudinally movable from ay point between the offset portion of the tongue and the base 27 to a position at one side of said oset portion. ln detail'theplate 50 is in the form of a yoker comprisinga body 51 and resilient compressible' arms` 52. The vlatter have integral Alateral ears 53 projecting` through longitudinal slots 5% inthe sidesl 23'of the shell 19. Byrmeans of these ears the operator may manually slide the plate into blocking position opposite the offset 32 or into unblocking position at one side of the offset, To assist theplate during itsitravel there are provided uponthe rear faces of the Aarms r52 integral lugs 56 which register 'in tlieguide slot 40.

' in order to insure that the plate 50V be not accidentally longitudinally moved, the ings 56 upon the free ends of the arms 52 are normally spaced from eachy other a greater distance'than the width" of the passage f1.2 inthe guide slot. Hence when it is desired to shift the plate from blocking to unbloclring yposition the Vears 53 may becompressed to bring` the lugs 56 towards each other sufficiently to permitthem to passbetween the projections Ll1 :and then release rlhus the plate 50 is locked inV the ears.

either bloclredor unblocked position. In

lio'ureet wherein the member 50 is shown in advancedA or blocking position it will be .observed that the thickness of the member 50 is such as to prevent the olfset portion32 of the tongue from 'freeing itself from the cat-eh 48 when ,the finger piece 87 is depressed'.` In Figure 6 Vthe member 50-is.

. different in appearance from the remainder ofthe chain. When, as hereinv shown, the terminal shells are in an intermediateportion ofthe chain it isobviousithat any'ornamentor watch carried by the chain hooks iev former, and the shells are not noticeably need not be detached to remove the Vchain A from the wearer-s body. rlhe arms 29 of the loop 2S is found preferable to a single in -tegral loop when the terminal shells are short, forA thel reason that when the entrant member is short the arm construction is less apt to set in bent position.

lt will be noted that. while the members f this fastener cannot be separated while the slide 50 is in forward or blocking position, nevertheless it is possible to bring the two parts of thefastener into engagement with each other evenwhe'n the block 50 is in bloclring'or adif'ancedposition, which is a noticeable convenience in enabling lthe wearer to attach the parts without anyattention t-o the position of the member 50. l claim j Y 1. In an ornamental chain includingterminal shells, a compressible entrant fastening member i'n one shell, a catch in the other shell engageable with the entrant member when the fastening member is noncompressed, and a member slidably mounted in the firstshell vengageablewith the fastening member t0 block the compression of the entrant member. f

2. In an ornamental chain including terminalshells, a compressible entrant Yfastening member in one shell, a catch in the other shell engageable with the entrant member, a

spacing member slidablyV mounted in the.

first shell adapted to block the compression Y of the entrant member in one'position vand to unbloek the entrant member 1n a second position, and means iny theirst shell forv locking the spacing member inv either bloclred. j

or unblocked position.

3.1In an' ornamental chain, a pair of housing shells, a compressible"substantially U-shaped fastening member comprising a flat base fixed Vinthe shell, spaced curved arms' integral with.V one lend vof rthe base within said shell, a broad tongue integral at one end with-'the arms and provided near its free end with a cavity, and a catch in the' second. shell in theapath of the tongue adapted to register in the cavity.

1. ln an ornamental chain comprising Y connected terminal shells, said shellsbeing lprovided in their adjacent edges .with .cavities adapted to register'withY each other, a comoressible fastening member comprising: a base fast in one shell and adapted to extend into the other shell, a lresilient tongue upon the base also adapted toextend intoV vthe second shell and provided with a cavity, a catch iny the secondVv shell registerable iny the lastmentioned cavity,' ,and ay lug inte` gral with the tongue. adapted to `project through the first mentioned the shells are.engaged.l

'5.In aii'ornamental chainrincluding terminal shells, a compressible entrant member comprising a base liXed' in one shell, a-

12:1` cavities when. y f

lll

Vlooppand a yielding tongue infrontof the hase provided With a rearn'wardlyl offset pro-- jecting end portion provided With a cavityk adapted to extend into the other shell,l 'a vrcatch in the seeond shell adapted to registerA inthe cavity, and a spacing plate sli ably mounted in the lirst shell between the'base and tongue vand movable into and outof Contact with the oii'set portion of the tongue lobloek or release the tongue. l

6, ln an ornamental chainV including.r tern'iinal shells, arcoinp'ressihle 'entrant fasten-V ing` inen'iber oomprisinga hase liXed in one shell,I atongue vieldingly supportedk uponV 'one end oil` the hase 'having anfofset projeot-l slots,A a spacing plate in the first shell oomprising a body and compressiblea-rins move Vable into and out of engagement- With the lterahle in the guide slot.

oiiset portion of the tongue, and lateral ears f on vthe arms extending loosely through the slotef Y 7. Inan'ornamental. Chain including ter-'1 lninal shells, acompressible entrant. fasten-.

fing lneniloer comprising a base attached to one shell provided With aI guide slot having arretraeted intermediate portion, and alongitudinally disposed tongue yieldingly supff in the second shell in the pathof the offset portion ofthe Vtongue registerable in the Yported upon the base and having an ofs'et 4end portion provided with a cavity, a eatoh cavity, the first shell being 'provided WithY j Y' longitudinal slots, a spacing plate ooinpris'- .ing a body .and Coinpressible arms slidahly mounted in the first shell, lateral ears upon' the arnis registerable inthe longitudinalA slots, V.and projections upon the arnis .regis-A In testimony whereof Il have aiiixed niy signature.

' OVE L. (SrAMlVIELL.` 

